Inuyasha: True Nature
by Frozen Phoenix
Summary: When a shape-changing demon befriends Rin under false pretenses, Sesshoumaru is forced to rescue her. But in doing so, Rin learns that despite changing circumstances it is our nature that remains the same.


A/N: This is my first attempt at Inuyasha fanfiction, though most likely not my last. I only hope that I have portrayed the characters with correctly and that you the reader, enjoy the story.

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Inuyasha "Sengoku o-Togi Zoushi" is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi._

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True Nature

By Frozen Phoenix

It was a pleasant day in the Sengoku Jidai. The sun shone brightly over numerous rolling hills covered in a multitude of flora, while a cool wind blew, scattering colorful insects and avian creatures alike. 

And in several villages, the people went about their daily routines of farming and working busily. But beneath the seeming calmness of the area, many more sinister things did dwell. 

For the Sengoku Jidai was not only a primitive, feudal mirror of a modern Japan, but also

a realm inhabited by demons. These demons, known as youkai, took many forms, from horrific beasts to delicate, human-like beings. 

But it was the nearly limitless power that the youkai possessed that made them dangerous. Coupled with cruel bloodlust and unrelenting hate, most youkai were true monsters. But, it was not so the case with all. 

In a thick, wooded forest a youkai of immense power and prestige traveled with a far weaker youkai retainer and more surprisingly, a human child. 

The youkai was known to his enemies and acquaintances alike as Sesshoumaru, the son of the powerful Inutaisho and the Great Lord of the Western lands. The toad youkai Jaken had long served Sesshoumaru, bearing the Staff of the Heads and doing anything that he could to win favor with his lord. 

The three made an unusual procession, as Sesshoumaru and Jaken kept even paces, while the young human Rin, alternated between skipping and walking beside them, maneuvering closer to Sesshoumaru when she was able to do so. 

Knowing that they had been moving for an extensive amount of time and that Rin was most likely growing tired, Sesshoumaru ceased walking, causing Jaken and Rin to stop as well. 

            "We shall rest here." He spoke simply, his voice both calm and commanding.

"Rin will pick flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried out happily as she glanced at bunches of wildflowers which stood in the distance. 

            Jaken snorted condescendingly. "Foolish girl. The great Sesshoumaru-sama has no need for such useless trifles."

A frown crossed Rin's young face and she looked to Sesshoumaru, who had taken a silent position near one of the taller tress, curiously. 

Sesshoumaru glanced at Jaken coolly. "Jaken, go with Rin to gather her flowers." 

Jaken's yellow eyes bulged at the command, his bulbous face marred by surprise that he would be given such a menial task. 

            "But my Lord!" The toad youkai argued desperately. "Surely there is something of greater importance that needs to be done. Going with the child-"

Noticing the dark expression on Sesshoumaru's face, Jaken trailed off nervously. The youkai lord's amber eyes glared at him coldly, while his one, poison clawed hand flexed nonchalantly. 

            "Must I repeat myself Jaken?" Sesshoumaru's voice was filled with hidden menace. 

"No-no, of course not my Lord!" His servant replied fearfully, the Staff of Heads shaking in his hand. "I will gladly do as you command Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Then go." 

            "Yes, right away my Lord!" Jaken rambled as he swiftly moved away from Sesshoumaru. He started for the flowers, all the while glancing at Rin hatefully. 

But Rin was unaffected. 

            "Jaken and Rin will find pretty flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama!" Her eyes fairly sparkled at the prospect of pleasing the youkai. Noticing how far ahead Jaken was, Rin hastily followed after him, giving Sesshoumaru one last smile as she moved deeper into the forest. 

Sesshoumaru watched her depart, feeling the slight tugging of amusement within him. But he quickly pushed the sentiment aside. He had not the use for such paltry emotions; a youkai of his stature had more important matters to attend to. 

Unconsciously, his gaze lowered and he stared at his two mismatched, yet necessary hands. His pale, crimson marked arm, deadly claws ready to spurt the corrosive poison that 

could reduce mountains into nothing more than liquid and his human arm, with blunted nails and almost nonexistent strength. It seemed a testament to how far Sesshoumaru had fallen. 

Losing his arm to the Tetsusaiga that which he considered his birthright, yet had been wielded by his hanyou brother had been infuriating. Traversing his lands with the arm of a dead human attached, had been demeaning. 

A frown crossed Sesshoumaru's usually neutral face. Only a human arm could use Tetsusaiga and once he retrieved the fang, he would make Inuyasha, his lowbrow, human wench and their companions regret ever crossing his path. 

~*~

It was watching them. The toad youkai, alternating muttering curses and yelling at the human child to hurry up, they had kept "Sesshoumaru-sama" waiting for far too long already. 

The child then frowned, her face becoming a mixture of annoyance at her loud companion and slight happiness when she noticed just _one_ more beautiful blossom to add to her already attractive bouquet. 

It had been watching them for a time, its face screwed up in lustful anticipation. The youkai would serve as a slight meal at best, but the child… Its black eyes glowed with feral need. The child would be a true feast indeed, her purity, even now driving it into unpremeditated revelation, something that could not be allowed. 

It moved closer steadily, the knowledge that it was far too ancient and the toad too distracted and lacking the power to sense it, urged it closer. Aside from its burning, ebony eyes, its form was indistinct, as from the many it had taken over the centuries, but its power still strong enough to do what was needed. 

All the while, Jaken was becoming ever closer to hitting Rin with the Staff of Heads and dragging her back through the forest. But the knowledge and fear of Sesshoumaru's great and terrible wrath kept his hand in check, though as for his mouth, much could be said otherwise. 

It galled Jaken that his current position was that of nursemaid and to a human child no less. Though he would never admit to jealousy of Rin, the feeling fairly burned within his small body. The attention that Sesshoumaru squandered upon her sickened Jaken, as did the presence of all humans. 

Jaken was prepared to yell at Rin once again, when he felt a cold presence fairly breathing down his back. Clutching the Staff of Heads tightly, he prepared to transform the apparition into nothing more than ashes, when he felt himself jerked upwards roughly, the staff flung from his grasp and his body locked in a crushing embrace. 

The sounds of Jaken squealing caused Rin to turn to him in alarm. Her dark eyes widened when she saw him flailing in the arms of something unseen, before a flash of light caused his body t o go limp. 

Rin was torn. Even though Jaken was unpleasant to her much of the time, she didn't want to leave him alone, but she also knew that she could do little to help him. 

            _But Sesshoumaru-sama can save him_, she thought determinedly. 

Perhaps noticing Rin's course of action, the figure dropped Jaken unceremoniously to the forest floor. Instantly, a crisp wind began to swirl around it, causing Rin to shield her eyes from the dusty back draft. Moments later, where something concealed had resided, stood none other than a child. 

Her blond hair seemed to shine in the sunlight, as though it were spun of pure gold and her blue eyes danced merrily and combining with the mischievous expression on her face, she seemed all the more impish. Her yukata was a blue color, far lighter than her eyes and her hands were pulled behind her back, giving Rin the impression that she hid something behind her. 

            "So mean." The girl spoke, her voice vigorous and loud. "So mean to yell when picking flowers." She stepped closer to Rin, her expression never changing. 

Rin stepped backward fearfully. Sesshoumaru had often warned her of the dangerous creatures that existed around her and even in her village, prior to meeting him, stories were often told about evil Youkai that searched for young children to devour. 

            "Rin doesn't understand." She replied cautiously. "Rin doesn't understand what happened to Jaken-sama." 

The girl smirked slightly and glanced callously behind her. 

            "Sleeping. He was mean, so I made him sleep."  She replied dismissively. Then her laughing eyes seemed to light up and her smirk became a glowing smile. 

            "You are Rin and I am Hanauri. Your flowers are pretty, but I know where the nicer ones are. See?" She pulled her hands forward and presented a flower that seemed to sparkle. The petals were of a ruby color and looked as though they bled in her palms

Rin gasped, the beauty of the blossom overwhelming her. She had never seen anything like it, not even in her travels with Sesshoumaru and Jaken. Entranced, she stepped forward, her gaze never faltering from the flower before her. 

            "You'll come too?" The child called Hanauri inquired innocently. When Rin did not answer, Hanauri took her hand brusquely and pulled her closer. The bouquet of flowers fell to the ground unseen. 

            "Hanauri will help you." Hanauri began walking, towing the transfixed Rin closely behind her. The pair passed by various floras as they moved even deeper into the dense forest. But as they continued on, the ground slowly became barren, all flowers and trees vanishing. A predatory smile crossed Hanauri's face as she came to a stop in front of dark cavern that would have seemed out of place in the forest and yet truly a part of the wasteland. 

           "They are in here. Come." Hanauri whispered, pushing Rin in front of her. _Yes,_ _come child. Come to your death… _

~*~

Sesshoumaru was not used to waiting. Standing before the place of Rin and Jaken's departure, he couldn't help but feel his impatience rousing. He knew that he overindulged Rin; Jaken had a penchant for bringing that fact to light many a time. Nevertheless, disobedience had never been a problem with her and Jaken had served Sesshoumaru long enough to know his master's ways.  

He had chosen this location to rest, based upon the fact that there were no youkai in the area dominant or powerful enough to challenge him. But as Sesshoumaru tentatively sniffed the air, smelling the faint, yet familiar scent of death mingled with the sickly, sweet aroma of decay, he frowned. Something was clearly amiss. 

That thought in mind, Sesshoumaru tore through the forest, Rin's unique scent and the promise that anyone who hurt, let alone touched her would die by his claws, fueled him. Passing by trees and colored blossoms, Sesshoumaru stopped short when the unconscious Jaken's scent suddenly assaulted him. 

Sesshoumaru's eyes roved the landscape until he found what he did seek. Sprawled close to a discarded bouquet of flowers, lay Jaken, his green skin a more sickly hue and his yellow eyes colorless. 

His small chest rose and fell, his body still alive despite his current condition. The putrid scent covered Jaken and mingled with the delicate scent of Rin, making Sesshoumaru all the more worried. He briefly glanced at Jaken again, content knowing that no youkai in the vicinity would make a meal of him and proceeded onward.    

~*~

The cavern was dank, and for a time, the dripping of water was all that Sesshoumaru could hear, aside from the sound of crunching beneath him. Glancing blandly at the ground, Sesshoumaru was hardly surprised to observe that the floor was covered in bones. Indifferent, he continued on his way, the stench of decomposition almost overwhelming his keen senses. 

Walking deeper into the darkness, Sesshoumaru felt his proverbial hackles rise. As the darkness began to give way to light, he finally saw Rin, her face slack and eyes unfocused, in the grip of what looked like a living shadow. Mounds of bones stood around them and decomposing corpses hung from above. 

In a rare display of emotion, Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat. A whip of golden light burst from his youkai hand and he leaped, furiously lashing the unsuspecting youkai, separating it from Rin and sending it crashing backwards into the wall. 

Landing gracefully on the ground beside her, Sesshoumaru carefully scooped up Rin, whose eyes fluttered sleepily. 

"Sessh-Sesshoumaru-sama?" She whispered quietly. 

"Hai," The youkai replied solemnly, his grasp tightening around Rin's body as he noticed the rocks shifting from the shattered wall before them. 

A piercing shriek was emitted and rocks were launched in all directions as the shadow youkai stood. Rin's eyes widened with horror and she gave a soft cry. 

            "Sesshoumaru-sama," She began fearfully, while pointing ahead. "Rin's friend Hanauri is hurt!" 

Frowning, Sesshoumaru glanced at her direction. He saw only the youkai who had been foolish enough to injure and kidnap that which was his, nothing that would resemble a human playmate. 

            _But I suppose that is part of its illusion. _Sesshoumaru reflected apathetically. _The bones scattered about are that of children and a child is all that Rin can see. Her mind is completely blocked to its true form and desires of her. _

"Rin," The shadow rasped painfully. "Hanauri needs you. Please help me…" 

At these words, Rin began to struggle within Sesshoumaru's grasp. Sesshoumaru in turn tightened his grip on her, unwilling to allow her within an inch of the treacherous, soul-stealing youkai. 

Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru uncomprehendingly. 

            "Rin's friend Hanauri is hurt Sesshoumaru-sama!" She protested worriedly. "Hanauri put Jaken-sama to sleep and helped Rin find beautiful flowers for Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin has to help Hanauri!" 

Sesshoumaru listened to her patiently, while mentally cursing "Hanauri." The youkai had placed him in the most difficult of situations with its continued manipulations of Rin's emotions. If he killed it, which he assuredly would do, Rin would see him as a murderer of children, no better than the wolves that had mauled her before he had restored her life using the Tenseiga. 

The irony of the situation was no lost upon Sesshoumaru. He had lived his life caring little for the opinions of others and loathing humans with a passion. And yet, the opinion that mattered most to him was that of a human child. How ironic indeed. 

The shadow youkai hissed and in Sesshoumaru's arms, Rin began to shudder in time. Her skin quickly became clammy and the color in her eyes seemed to fade. 

            "You are too late." It cooed gleefully. "I have taken a part of her, much like the toad. Her soul is mine, as will be yours!"  

With a fierce roar loud enough to cause the walls to shake and rocks to tremble, the shadow youkai lunged forward, its black eyes burning with pure malice. Holding Rin closer in his human left arm, Sesshoumaru calmly extended his right hand. 

"Dokkasou." He spoke softly as the brilliant jade poison sprayed from his hand and showered the charging youkai. After screaming and thrashing about horrendously while the poison melted away at its body, the shadow youkai finally collapsed to the ground. 

Sesshoumaru stared at it disgustedly as its deathly requiems become nothing more than piteous moans of pain. 

            "Fool." Sesshoumaru continued, his voice never loosing its deceptive calmness. "To think that I, Sesshoumaru would fall prey to your manipulations. You believed that by using Rin, you would gain a necessary advantage and now you lay dying for your mistakes."

            "Bas-" The shadow youkai whispered hoarsely, before its rent body convulsed painfully. 

Sesshoumaru's cold eyes narrowed at the implied insult. But rather than responding in turn, he simply called upon his power once again. 

            "Dokkasou." The acid sprang from his outstretched talons once again, this time enveloping the shadow youkai completely. With nary a scream, the youkai and the ground it had occupied were reduced to nothing and smoke filled the area briefly, until numerous blasts of light exploded throughout the room. 

As the lights passed through the corpses, Sesshoumaru quickly realized their true forms as that of the children's souls. But after the amount time spent inside the youkai and the destruction of their human bodies, most of the captured souls then vanished, save for the few that traveled outside of the cave and the small wisp that returned to Rin's body.

Allowing his aloofly natured persona to slip, Sesshoumaru stared at Rin anxiously, watching her eyes return to their normal dark pigment and her face to regain its healthy color. 

~*~

            "Sesshoumaru-sama, you saved Rin?" She inquired, her confusion clearly evident. 

            "Hanauri…" She began sadly before Sesshoumaru interrupted her. 

            "This Hanauri never existed." He stated plainly and with Rin still in his arms, turned and began the task of departing the macabre cavern. 

Sesshoumaru heard Rin's gasp of horror as they went by a skeleton dangling from the ceiling.

            "The flowers…they are all gone." Rin muttered with an amalgamation of dejection and astonishment.        

Though choosing not to answer, it was Sesshoumaru who frowned when he heard Jaken's all too familiar screeching. Having obviously recovered from his ill-fated encounter, the frantic youkai was brandishing the Staff of Heads tightly as he fairly ran towards his master. 

            "Sesshoumaru-sama! This Jaken was so worried about that soul stealing youkai using the girl against you, but I was foolish not to have expected your cunning-"

            "Jaken." Sesshoumaru interrupted curtly as he brushed past him. 

            "Yes, my Lord?" 

            "Be quiet." 

Expecting a blow to go with the words, Jaken sighed with relief when none came. Sesshoumaru ignored him and walked over the dry, cracked land. As the souls had departed, so would the land return to its natural state, given time. 

Rin was unusually quiet, the prior events weighing heavily upon her. She'd spent so much time traveling with Sesshoumaru, away from most humans and her life in the poor village after her parents had died had done little to help her to get close to people.  

And when she had thought she found someone, it turned out to be an evil trick. Something that had tried to hurt Sesshoumaru and Jaken, those who the most to Rin. 

Finally returning to the field of flowers within the forest, with Jaken keeping safe distance behind, Sesshoumaru gently set Rin down on a large rock, beneath the shade of the trees. 

Her seriousness concerned him and made him realize just deeply much her boundless enthusiasm affected him. But as much as he would have preferred ignore the situation, to still be the cold-hearted youkai lord, who remained fixated upon his goal, possessing the Tetsusaiga and allowing nothing to dissuade him, he could not. 

            "Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said sadly.

            "You have nothing to apologize for." He responded looking at her sharply. "What occurred, was through no fault of yours." 

Rin's eyes widened. 

            "Then, Sesshoumaru-sama isn't angry with Rin?" 

            "Never." Sesshoumaru replied firmly. "I could never be angry with my Rin." 

In the coolness of the shade, Rin's face brightened and the gap toothed smile that was only hers, blossomed. 

And Sesshoumaru knew that his sentiment rang true. For she was truly his and nothing in existence could replace her smile.   

~The End~

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